Prevalence and factors associated with chronic school absenteeism among 207,107 in-school adolescents: Findings from cross-sectional studies in 71 low-middle and high-income countries.

Background: Despite the negative impact of chronic school absenteeism on the psychological and physical health of adolescents, data on the burden of adolescent chronic school absenteeism (ACSA) and interventions and programs to address it are lacking. We estimated the global, regional and national level prevalence of ACSA and its correlation with violence and unintentional injury, psychosocial, protective, lifestyle, and food security-related factors among in-school adolescents across low and middle-income, and high-income countries (LMICs-HICs).

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of chronic school absenteeism (CSA) as well as to determine its associated factors among in-school adolescents across 71 low-middle and high-income countries.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines against Delta Variant (B.1.617.2): A Meta-Analysis.

The highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant (DV) has contributed to a surge in cases and exacerbated the worldwide public health crisis. Several COVID-19 vaccines play a significant role in a high degree of protection against the DV. The primary purpose of this meta-analysis is to estimate the pooled effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines against the DV in terms of risk ratio (RR) among fully vaccinated, compared to unvaccinated populations.

The Socioeconomic and Sexual Health Status of Young People Living in Urban Slum Areas of Kampala, Uganda.

Slum dweller youth in Kampala, Uganda, face social economic exclusion and a plethora of health risks, and their needs are poorly understood. The aim of the current study was to analyze their needs and to suggest contextual evidence-based solutions to improve their well-being sustainably. We conducted a qualitative study involving 10 focus group discussions (FGDs; N = 113) and 20 key informant (KII) interviews.

Understanding the Challenges of Improving Sanitation and Hygiene Outcomes in a Community Based Intervention: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Tanzania.

Good sanitation and clean water are basic human rights yet they remain elusive to many rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We carried out a cross sectional study to examine the impact of a four-year intervention aimed at improving access to water and sanitation and reducing waterborne disease, especially diarrhea in children under five years old. The study was carried out in April and May 2015 in Busangi, Chela and Ntobo wards of Kahama District of Tanzania.

The Ugandan Youth Quality of Life index: assessing the relevance of incorporating perceived importance into the quality of life measure and factors associated with the quality of life among youth in slum areas of Kampala, Uganda.

Background: While quality of life (QoL) has long been an explicit policy goal for international development programmes, no instruments have specifically been developed for measuring health-related QoL in resource-limited settings. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a QoL instrument for use in international aid and development programmes and to assess factors associated with QoL among youth participating in a civic engagement project in Kampala.

Design: Using systematic random sampling, data were collected on 663 participants aged between 13 and 24 years in Kampala.